The woman who was found dead in a car parked near Paula Abdul’s Sherman Oaks, Calif., home last night has been identified as Paula Goodspeed, 30, a former contestant on “American Idol’s” Season 5.
Goodspeed was found shortly after 6 PM on Tuesday, after the Los Angeles Police Department received a tip from a neighboring agency, according to LAPD spokesperson Officer Karen Smith.
“Our Van Nuys division did receive a call from the Ventura County’s Sheriff. A woman’s parents reported her missing and they thought that she may be at Paula Abdul’s house,” Smith told Access Hollywood on Tuesday night.
The parents of the woman reportedly believed their daughter was nearby Abdul’s home as she was reportedly “a big fan” of the “Idol” judge, Officer Smith told Access.
When authorities arrived, the unidentified woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities are awaiting a coroner’s report to verify the cause of death.
Footage of a car parked on the street where the incident occurred, and shown on Fox News 11 in Los Angeles, who first reported the story, showed Paula Abdul laminates dangling from the rearview mirror.
Goodspeed was shown auditioning for the FOX reality show in February 2006.
Dressed in pink, and with a mouth full of braces, she claimed, “You have to have a certain personality to pull my look off.” She also claimed to be a major Paula Abdul fan.
“I really like Paula Abdul a lot,” Goodspeed said on the show. “ She’s really cool. I’m like, a really big fan. And I made life-sized drawings of Paula. I’ve been drawing ever since I was a little kid and my first drawing was of Paula Abdul.”
After performing “Proud Mary” for the judging panel, she left Abdul surprised.
“Well, Paula, I’m speechless,” Abdul said. “Don’t know what to say.”
“Is that good or bad,” Goodspeed asked.
“It’s not a great thing,” Abdul said.
After being told she wouldn’t make it through to the Hollywood round of the competition, Goodspeed vowed to continue her dream of being a singer.
“It’s not over. I’m not going to stop singing just because you don’t like my voice,” she said.
Abdul was not home at the time of Tuesday’s incident. Her spokesperson told KTTV Fox News 11 that the judge was out Tuesday evening taping a session for the upcoming season of “American Idol.”
On Wednesday, Abdul released a statement regarding the incident to Access Hollywood.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened about what transpired yesterday,” Abdul’s statement read. “My heart and prayers go out to her family.”
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